1. Field of the Invention
The following description relates generally to an apparatus and method for controlling power of a transmitter in a mesh network, and in particular, to a power control apparatus and method for simultaneously enabling correct tracking and power control of a transmitter by tracking mobility with a cumulated change while performing power control in a mesh network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, networks have a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint star topology. Recently, however, there is a growing interest in the wireless network having a multipoint-to-multipoint mesh structure like the wire network.
The mesh network can reduce power consumption by controlling transmission power at a transmitter. The transmitter includes a Mesh Access Point (MAP), a Mesh Point (MP) or a Station (STA). The reduction in the power consumption increases a life time of the mesh network system. Therefore, in the mesh network, the power control is an important issue.
In the mesh network, neighboring nodes can receive signals between a transmitter and a receiver. When high-power signals are exchanged between the transmitter and the receiver, the neighboring nodes may receive interference from the signals. An increase in the power of the signals increases not only the number of neighboring nodes receiving interference, but also a level of the interference to the neighboring nodes. Therefore, the power control is an important issue even in terms of interference cancellation.
The power control can obtain the foregoing gains, but may cause a problem in mobility measurement between two nodes for the following reason. That is, the mobility measurement between two nodes is made depending on signal strength, and the signal strength varies by the power control. Therefore, the power-controlled, signal may cause distorted information in distance measurement between two nodes.
However, the conventional technology, as it cannot simultaneously perform power control and mobility measurement, may cause considerable distortion in mobility measurement information during power control. In the mesh network, the distorted information may increase an inter-signal delay and damage packets, making it impossible to provide seamless services.